


Tommi Shelby

by BUT_TRANS



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Antifascism, Dominant Tommy Shelby, F/F, Fights, Gang Violence, Gun Violence, Minor Character Death, Misgendering, Multi, No Lesbians Die, Non-Canonical Character Death, Not super dark, Other, Queer Themes, References to Drugs, Threesome, Threesome - F/F/F, Tommy Shelby Needs a Hug, Tommy Shelby is a transgirl, Trans Female Character, Trans/Cis Relationship, Transfemme, Transphobia, antifa, but the trans person wins, shy and sensitive tommy shelby, slightly lighthearted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:15:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BUT_TRANS/pseuds/BUT_TRANS
Summary: Tommi Shelby builds up the gang and business to new heights, fighting her demons and the darkest underbelly of 1930's Britain, while exploring worlds she never dreamed possible. Love entangles with business as she seeks to protect her new depths of bravery and take down her enemies. But first she has to face the family. Cannon-if-you-squint-somwhat-hard-but-not-that-hard-okay. Trans/queer fic. Yes I am also trans actually but that will also be clear hopefully.
Relationships: Tommi Shelby/Tommy Shelby, Tommy Shelby/Jessie Eden/grace shelby
Collections: Queer Characters Collection, Queer Fics, Trans Stories





	1. Petrichor

**Author's Note:**

> By way of a Forward:
> 
> Not many of these 4th wall breakers but wanted to kind of:
> 
> CW: Trans stuff. My name really says it all @BUT_TRANS. 
> 
> Additionally it’s totally up to you, but in the first few paragraphs of this story there is a period where Tommi relaxes. This is a transparent offer to the reader of the opportunity to just relax with the character. It is about you as a reader as much as it is about the character. But just check in with your shoulders if you want. 
> 
> In that period though the character is also expressing a gender that may not be yours (or it may be lol). But there is also misgendering and gender confusion happening as well. But don’t worry, I’m not in this fanfic game to harm my readers. Minimally, no lesbians die okay?
> 
> Fiction is nice for like, in this case experiencing different genders as an experiment in reality. But fiction in any case is about experiencing different but somehow similar lives to our own, such that we see ourselves in them. Whether any story achieves this, is in the eyes of the beholder of course. 
> 
> This series will be erotic only in about the same level as the actual show so adult in themes but not overly graphic.
> 
> This fanfic is squint-and-it’s-cannon but to be clear folks you do not have to squint that hard if you have the right glasses.
> 
> Overall this won’t be as dark of a story as the real show. This one has a thread that’s pretty weirdly posi like listening to dreampop but with bass shaking your bones.
> 
> Enough about me already, let’s hear about you. I know this last period of your life has probably been pretty weird. 
> 
> The beautiful part of this statement is that it will always be true.
> 
> Now onto the show darling. 
> 
> ; )

# Tommi Shelby

### 

### Chapter 1: Petrichor

 _Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrɪkɔːr/) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek petra (πέτρα), "rock", or petros (πέτρος), "stone", and īchōr (ἰχώρ), the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology._ \- <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor>

Wet.

The whole world smells wet. Tommi Shelby walks from the flooded streets in the foggy but sunny early morning into the dank warmth of her bar. As she slams open the door it hits loudly the wall stopper and clangs as if to break the glass in the windows. The draft of the door lets in a cool gust of wind that comes whipping through the bar the whole family gathers around.

Tommi knows that someone has to die.

It’s the lord’s day so the bar is empty save for the family members and their partners. Everyone stopped their activities simultaneously and hardened their eyes on Tommi as she walked in. By the gods they avoided on the lord’s day, they gather to discuss business and other affairs in the increasingly hostile but potentially generous future.

Tommi’s shoulders drop suddenly as she remembers to breathe. She breathes in slowly and holds her breath as she releases her tension into a more relaxed posture. She then respires outward slowly remembering she fights best when she’s relaxed. Holds her breath out for a moment. And then begins the process of relaxing again. She looks around at some familiar faces.

Polly Gray is the first one to regain her senses and notice something about Tommi’s swagger that surprised her. She thought, “he’s quite relaxed.” Polly’s satin scarf keeping little of the wind off of her neck, now shining slightly from the wait for Tommi. Then without thinking more about it at all yells: “What’s got into you boy? You look positively happy. Are you on drugs now too? What've you got us 'er so early for anyways?”

Arthur begins to sneer and yells, “Tommy! You’re an hour late boy! Where have you been? We need to talk about this London business. You said we would. Were you fucking that broad again?”

Tommi’s relaxation turns back into a tight ball in her shoulders as she readies for a brawl.

Michael Gray, boyish but sly speaks gently as Tommi saddles up to the bar. “Tommi you look well. I have exciting things to report on London. We’re looking well in most everything though I still don’t trust them.”

Tommi shudders deeply. Something about the intonation of Michaels voice signalled that he knew what Tommi was here to share. It was impossible for Tommi to know for sure as they both leaned on the bar, now able to talk more quietly, though with all eyes on them. “Good on you.” Tommi whispers.

Tommi orders a drink. For once though, she feels a sensation that surprises even her. A glimmer of hope leaps into her eyes, and she decides she is going to change her life. She orders simply 1 shot of whiskey instead of her usual mug bottle of whiskey.

Michael leans forward and whispers, “It’s good to see you Tommi.” Again Tommy feels somehow held by these words. She bravely straightened out her back and dropped her left shoulder like a snake chased from Ireland.

Tommi was always ready for a fight. But now, as she pivots on her heel and faces the agape crowd. She has forgotten for a precious moment about fighting. She looks out across the crowd and smiles broadly.

“It’s good to be seen.” Tommi says to the whole room at once, but especially to Michael who chuckles as he turns to keep up with Tommi. Michael isn’t the first person Tommi had said those words to. The first one smelled distinctly different though.

“It is time we expand the business” Tommi hollers commandingly across the echoing halls of the bar with a slight flip of her bangs now hanging slightly over her eyes. Tommi’s eyes beamed and everyone stopped moving.

The door slams open for the second time tonight. Pants legs and dresses ripple gently in the breeze as the smell of earthy petrichor from the nearby logging forest and the acrid stank of factory plumes drip off of the cold air.

Tommy must be killed.


	2. false oracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommi meets up with Grace in their country home and discusses her moves to protect the family and herself. Their embrace is energizing.

**Time: The early morning before the family meeting.  
Scene (Tommi meeting up with Grace Shelby)**

****

Hands fly across the sky,

As Grace Shelby begins

..to gather her consciousness. 

Long strands of milky coffee curls shake down the sides of her cheekbone. She yawns and kicks thick cloud like blankets off of her feet. Her bed is forgiving under her body as she rolls awake. She slightly loses her balance and then giggles as she collects herself fully, finally. 

She she yawned again as she walked to her mirror. Her sleep had been broken by thoughts of Tommy. She felt scared for him but also felt something changing in him. He had become somehow more fierce and dangerous but also feminine with her in their last encounters. She suspected a change was taking place in Tommy. But regardless of any change, she felt herself able to hold the memory of that sweet person as she began to dress for the day. 

[Hgumplf, hgumplf], resonates the door, loudly and down the stairs. Grace shakes off her reveries. In a crisp shudder. A feeling of deep affection for herself and several people in her life banged against her ribs as if to escape.

She’s knows that her housemate has inevitably already let Tommy in who’s probably already:

*softly this time* [Hgumplf, hgumplf] resonates the door, but this time at the edge of her room. She pulls up the two straps of her light and floral but minimalist and highly mobile dress. She had sown pockets on the side. They attached with a string that she could tie around a button She preferred comfort over fashion but sprung sneakily to flaunt her quirky style here and there.

“Tomm”~ she chortled as her body slung around as if to kick an intruder. “Enter please!” burst past her mouth with her familiar Irish drawl.

She sprinted towards her lover with open arms. Tommi beamed back at her, while squatted as if to wrestle a pig in preparation for a leap. Grace soared up off the floor as if an angel had muscles. They collided into a hug that quickly turned many rapid and playful cheek kisses.

Grace immediately understood as her eyes finally locked on her friend. She felt moved by a storm of warmth in her chest which she turned back towards the same, but somehow now face before her.

“Tommi”

they rang in unison. Grace realizing she was quite a bit gayer than she'd known. Tommi with the confidence of a gentle knowing.

They kissed deeply, Grace still dangling in Tommi’s wiry but soft arms. 

“Tommi you must tell me everything at once.”

Tommi bellowed a blanket like laugh across Grace who Tommi laid slowly across the bed they had shared over many a fortnight. Grace rolled over away from to Tommi while pulling her down to gather around her as she rests on her side. As Tommi ripples up against her, she feels herself letting go and drifting down like a leaf against the relative safety and excitement of their connection.

Tommi whispers, “my love.... I dunno where to begin.”

Their hands cross as Tommy moves her arm under the tips of Graces oppositely flowing limbs. Tommi’s hand rests on Grace’s shoulder as her hand rests on Tommi’s hip. Their eyes lock again now closer in space. They both delicately swing arms again except this time to clasp the backs of each other's necks. 

As their gazes deepen upon each other. tommi and grace let their shoulders drop in relaxation. To be seen so deeply, they both overflowed with rose petal baths in their hearts. 

With a spark of cheeky bravery, tommi opens the side of her mouth “I’ve been getting these herbs from Johnny Dog’s gran for some months now to sort of treat me for this feeling i had. She says it’s quite common though not often discussed. I’m a woman Grace. But I’m still the Tommi you’ve always loved.”

Grace wiped the tears (and a tiny amount of snot) off of her face as the tears rolled across her cheeks. “I love seeing you like this darling. Frankly, I’m just glad to see _you_.”

Tommi gets serious for a moment body slightly flexing. Tommi smirked a bit. Her thick eyebrows bristling against her skin. “Do you know those people we partied with, down by the basins, in that abandoned part of town?” Grace, “those communists!” she chortles falling about herself.

Tommi, “haha yes darling those slightly _queer radicals of whatever stripe.” She continues, “Well, I’m going to expand my business from here to london to protect the different communities like that as they blossom.”_

_Grace, shivers as a fright drifts over her. All her repressed feelings, un-clarified and raw flared up in her body._

“Tommi darling, how can you be safe?”

Tommi’s laughter once against rolls across the room. 

“I’m sorry darling. I honor your fear. But things are literally okay for me.”

Her shoulders released again as she could tell Tommi was being sincere.

“I mean of course I can’t predict everything. But this kind of work has quite a lot of precedence. And it’s kind of okay. Obviously people are still aghast in their parochial little tunnels, but we are more or less untouchable.”

“Tommi I hear you. I do, but that is not the kind of thing you can know for certain, and that uncertainty still matters to my heart.”

Tommi smiled but one side of her mouth faltered. Her eyes still beamed respect and warmth. “This is the advantage of having the largest _family business_ in Britain, if not the entire world. We are feared by the right people and adored by some generous masses in turn. But i respect your concern and will keep you updated as i learn more about the situation.”

Grace gazed back and finally let her smile return. “You’re a cute little devil Tommi Shelby.”

“Maybe so.” slithers Tommi. “But i’m usually right aren’t I?” as their legs entangle.  
  


**TIME: Later that night, after the family meeting.**

**Scene: Tommy back at the mansion, with Grace still at their country house**

Tommi gingerly picks up the phone and limp wrists it dangling to her ear.

“Tommi how did it go with your family?” Grace volleys.

“Haha they’re adapting to our new business endeavors quite well all things considered. Michael already knew.” 

“Well that’s a balm. I’ve been thinking about you. Please come back to the summer house.”

“I will, but i have some business with Jessie in town.”

_~Silence calms the electricity in the phone lines.~_

“Oh geeze Tommi. Well be a good girl for me then.”

Tommy giggled under her breath but suppressed it to honor the solemness of the situation. “I always am darling.”


	3. Struggle and Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommi attempts to solicit Jessie Eden's network of queer radicals to help with operations against a common enemy.

Tommi enters her jet-black Rolls Royce. They were one of the first car manufacturers in Britain in 1904 so the new rich naturally worshipped them. Tommi had seen one as a confused and scared little girl, come through her temporary neighborhood. Temporary because they never lived in one place long back then. Tommi had coveted the Rolls Royces since then... and until one was hers.

Today, after her meeting with the family, her driver took her into a somewhat adjacent, and equally rough neighborhood in the city. The driver lifts his eyebrow at Tommi but says nothing while driving through the unfamiliar neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Tommi contemplates how surprisingly well it went with the family. They were definitely awkwardly confused, but on some level, they had all known and just wanted to protect her. She assured them that new growth in the Shelby company would solve these problems at once.

The car hums to a stop alongside a thin tenement near the train tracks. Tommi is surrounded by two security guards as she walks to the front door. A beautiful dark mahogany-coloured coat is falling about her shins. She wore heels that could break a foot, but were durable enough to trek through cobblestone as well. Tommi raps against the door as if to smile.

“Come in sweetheart.” a voice sings back.

Tommi’s lips are painted and her hat brim curves down the edges and pick up her gaze upon you. Tommi briskly opens the door and the guards stay outside to smoke and talk. She hangs her coat on the rack alongside the door and lets her dark grass-colored dress tumble down to the floor with a secret switch in her sleeve.

Jesse Eden peaks around the corner and chuckles under her breath as her eyes fill up like saucers with Tommi’s light in them. “You look amazing love.” Jessie rings back as she saunters up to Tommi. She grabs the back of Tommi’s head and gently drags their lips together in a deep physical embrace. “You’re going to love the clubs, Tommi”.

“So you already figured out why I’m here Jessie?” Tommi practically whistles.  
Jessie chuckles. “No, not at all. That all remains to be seen. But yes I did deduce that you want to ally with the queer underground bars. They’re all radicals Tommi. You must understand this.”

It was Tommi’s turn to chuckle at that. “Oh I know” she whispers fetchingly. “I prefer the anarchists myself. But I know you, the communists.”

“We will have to meet with Rosa Luxembourg then Tommi but we can certainly meet with the resistance bars. They’d love to create a shared front. Especially if you can provide security.”

Tommi drags the back of her finger down Jessie’s neck and then kisses it once gently but smooth as butter.

Jessie lets out a shudder as her body plays off its own rhythms.

Tommi whispers in Jessie's ear, “I can provide more security than you can possibly imagine my love. Who are these people I’m to meet then in the ‘underground?’”

Jessie pulls herself somehow closer into Tommi’s standing body with arms wrapped around her like a strong but delicate tree. Jessie laughs again quickly into Tommi's shoulder. “Well you’ll like them I guess. They’re mostly Italian and Yiddish anarchists these queers. But they’re powerful enough on their own to run openly queer establishments. I’ll have to update you with Rosa some other day I suppose my sweet little girl” she trickles into Tommi's ear.

It was Tommi's turn to let out a shudder as her body plays off its own rhythms.

“Jessie, I need to talk to you before anything more sexual happens. You do understand that I’m also married to Grace Shelby right? .... But ..... she also knows I’m with you know. Also, I’m just now getting used to exploring my body like this so I’m excited but I want to move slowly.”

“I know what you mean honey and yes of course I know you're married. Many of us are as well." Jessie winked at Tommi then continued, "And as strange as this sounds, I think we should go sit in my bedroom for that still..... Because there’s nowhere else to sit.”

“Oh, I’d love to sweetheart.”

As they laid on Jessie’s bed their bodies magnetically cuddled. Waves of warmth pulsating over them as they began to let their minds melt into each other.

“Now it’s my time for a boundary.” Jessie teased Tommi. “I need to talk about this before I get all hot and bothered. The rally tonight will be at Cable Street Tommi, do you understand that? Can you get enough money to pay our defense committees here too?”

Tommi finally drops her bag off the side of the bed, she is tightly clasping with her free arm. She rolls over and looks into it and pulls out £700. “Will this do for short notice? My additional networks of security will be there as well to protect the protestors and other striking workers.”

Jessie squeals with happiness. “Of course it will do tommi. Though do be safe.”

“I have other work for them all in the future, but i thought paying the old fascist Oswald Mosley, a former Labour partyman, a visit would be right up this crowds brawling wing’s alley.” offers Tommi.

Jessie softly barks, “You’re a labour activist but you fund anarchist gangs to fight fascists with the money you make from international smuggling operations. Just what are you getting at with all of this showing off?”

Tommi just rolls onto Jessie and rubs her cheek against Jessies. They lock eyes and fall head first into a deep kiss. Their sense of time expands as they get lost in each other's embrace.


End file.
